Business columnists

Sean Maher: A good problem to have in Boulder

Last week, Boulder Tomorrow hosted a lunch where several experts discussed what is and is not working for Boulder's primary employers. They had some great insights that are worth sharing.

First of all, we are incredibly lucky to live and do business in a place that has become so attractive to companies from so many desirable sectors.

Technology, natural products, clean energy, bioscience and the outdoor industry have all targeted Boulder as the place they want to be. Many of these firms are willing to pay a premium price to be here. Most also pay premium salaries so their employees can actually afford the high cost of living here on our little island.

As a result, Boulder has weathered the great recession far better than almost anywhere else in America. A downtown landlord who also controls properties in Denver and along most of the West Coast told me recently he has never seen an office market with such healthy demand.

Indeed, while most cities in the U.S. fret about how they are going to fill an ocean of empty commercial space, our challenge is the opposite. How do we create more room to accommodate all these great companies that are here and want to grow?

Given the choice, I think ours is a pretty good problem to have.

Advertisement

However, it is still a problem, and we see the symptoms all too often. Webroot recently gave up on Boulder and moved its 220 employees down the turnpike to Broomfield. The company joins White Wave, Noodles & Company, Leopard Communications and many others that have been forced to leave their hometown because they became too successful. Each time we lose a great company, we lose a great asset in our community.

So how do we strike a balance of meeting the demand for space without destroying the quality of life that makes these great companies want to be here? Some say it cannot be done, but I disagree. With creative and strategic policies, Boulder can create new space for business without the negative impacts of sprawl.

First, the city should encourage commercial infill development where people live, shop and use transit. They are off to a great start with the decision last year by the City Council to allow more office space in downtown. This zoning change could result in more than 200,000 feet of new space for growing Boulder companies over the next few years. And since almost two-thirds of downtown employees use alternative transportation to get to work, the carbon and congestion impacts will be a fraction of what they would be if those companies moved to a suburban office park where everyone drives.

Boulder also has a challenge with "tired" office buildings built back in the 1960s and '70s. Many of these buildings are energy inefficient, have dysfunctional floor plans and are just plain ugly. The city should work with property owners to encourage redevelopment to meet the needs of 21st century companies and their employees.

City leaders should also be sensitive in how they encourage commercial users to conserve energy. The current efforts including Energysmart and 10 for Change have worked well. When it comes to getting business people to behave, carrots are always more effective than sticks.

Finally, the city's flexible rebate program to retain primary employers has been a resounding success, and the City Council gets credit for funding the effort through some tough budget years. Now that we know it works and has a healthy return on investment, we should increase our efforts to keep homegrown companies in town with targeted tax and fee rebates.

If we check off all the items on this list, will we stop every company from leaving town? Of course not, and we should not panic when it happens. Boulder will always have limited space and some firms will have to expand elsewhere. But our city will be more vibrant, healthy and green if we maximize that limited space and keep as many homegrown firms as we can.

Sean Maher is the executive director of the Downtown Boulder Business Improvement District. The opinions expressed here are his own and do not represent the Business Improvement District or Downtown Boulder Inc. He can be reached at sean@dbi.org.

MacIntyre feels Colorado is capable of making run at bowl gameCU BUFFS FALL CAMPWhen: 29 practices beginning Wednesday morning 8:30-11 a.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday practices are open to the media and public next week. Full Story

It didn't take long for Denver music observers to notice Plume Varia. Husband and wife Shon and Cherie Cobbs formed the band only two years ago, but after about a year they started finding themselves on best-of lists and playing the scene's top venues. Full Story